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Board member urges uses for $1.6M cafeteria surplus; administration flags legal limits
Summary
Mrs. Booth told the board the cafeteria checking balance is about $1.6 million and proposed using excess funds for student needs (kitchen renovations, equipment, lower lunch prices, employee bonuses); administration said federal and state rules restrict some uses and recommended compiling a prioritized list for legal review.
Board member Mrs. Booth laid out a history of the cafeteria fund and urged the board to consider concrete uses for what she described as a growing surplus. She told the board the cafeteria checking account balance "is over $1.6 million" and said the district had not been earning interest on the account until recent bank changes; she estimated that applying 1% interest on a long-term balance could generate thousands of dollars per year for cafeterias and supplies. Mrs. Booth suggested possible uses including switching from disposable plastic silverware back to washable silverware, buying equipment, providing small bonuses to cafeteria employees and temporarily lowering lunch prices to relieve families.
Administration and board members responded that legal and federal guidelines limit how child-nutrition funds can be used. Dr. Bronte said the board should compile a prioritized list of candidate uses and have administration and the solicitor cross-check each option against legal constraints before spending decisions are made. Board discussion reflected support for exploring options but caution about unintended effects (for example, lowering prices could affect reimbursements or other cost-savings tied to federal programs).
